{"feedItem":{"id":138282,"sourceModelId":null,"sourceModelType":null,"title":"Gage & Tollner: Update","visibility":"public","commentingPolicy":"public","pinned":false,"featuredOnSyndicateProfileAt":null,"type":"FeedItem::Update","publishedAt":"2020-10-17T21:17:44.789Z","softDeletedAt":null,"sendNotifications":true,"sendNotificationsAt":null,"notificationsSentAt":null,"scheduled":false,"scheduleBlocker":"This post has already been published","createdAt":"2020-10-17T20:52:54.931Z","updatedAt":"2025-07-17T17:19:58.374Z","content":"

Dear friends,

It's been seven months since we last welcomed guests inside Gage & Tollner. We hope you and your families have been enduring this year as comfortably as possible.

We're sure you've wondered about the future of Gage & Tollner, and we'll tell you what we know, and what we believe.

Gage & Tollner will open soon — but not too soon. We've been thinking all year about how and when to reopen Gage & Tollner, and there are many factors to consider. We've always wanted to open as soon as possible, as long as a) we consider it safe for our staff and our guests to do so, and b) we're reasonably certain that we won't be closed by the government again. Reopening Gage & Tollner is an expensive undertaking, and our resources are not unlimited — another closing would be a major challenge.

We continue to monitor the key indicators in New York City's pandemic struggle. Though NYC is scheduled to allow indoor seating at 50% capacity on November 1, we think it's prudent to let some other restaurants go first, and learn from their successes and failures. Also, given the resurgence of the virus in Europe and other parts of the country, we think being patient and observing as the cold weather arrives is the way to go. But we definitely anticipate opening before the end of 2020, hopefully early December, if all goes well.

The future of Gage & Tollner is stable. It may sound audacious, but we believe that Gage & Tollner will be able to break even at 50% capacity. We have a few factors working on our side: Our landlords have been very generous and practical, and have clearly shown their commitment to Gage & Tollner as a longtime business partner. Our PR push in March really worked, and now our future guests are emailing and calling every day, ready to make reservations tomorrow. Our menu — classic chophouse food — is the kind of thing we're all craving right about now. Our dining room is still the most beautiful and unique dining experience in New York, and big enough to hold 50+ socially distanced diners. The key personnel that opened with us this spring are ready to come back, and if there's a team that can make this work, it's this one.

To be sure, operating Gage & Tollner during this pandemic will not be easy. The path to our post-COVID future is narrow, and there's danger waiting for us on either side. But for Gage & Tollner, there is a path — and these days, that's a reason to celebrate.

When we decide to reopen our reservation book, we'll do it just like last time: our Wefunder investors will have first crack at reservations before we open the book to the public. With luck (and masking and social distancing and good hygiene), you will hear from us again in the next few weeks.

Thanks as always for your patience and support!

St. John, Ben, and Sohui

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Dear friends,

It's been seven months since we last welcomed guests inside Gage & Tollner. We hope you and your families have been enduring this year as comfortably as possible.

We're sure you've wondered about the future of Gage & Tollner, and we'll tell you what we know, and what we believe.

The future of Gage & Tollner is stable. It may sound audacious, but we believe that Gage & Tollner will be able to break even at 50% capacity. We have a","displayContentPlain":"Dear friends, It's been seven months since we last welcomed guests inside Gage & Tollner. We hope you and your families have been enduring this year as comfortably as possible. We're sure you've wondered about the future of Gage &a...","metadata":{},"emailStats":null,"poll":null},"user":null,"backPath":null}